4 Japanese Appetizers If You Don't Like Sushi
Japanese restaurants are known for their signature sushi dishes, but if you do not like raw fish, you must look into other options. Sushi is not the the only way to enjoy seafood at a Japanese restaurant. The appetizer menu at a traditional Japanese restaurant will feature a lot of seafood options that includes cooked seafood.
Check out some options to consider the next time you dine out at a Japanese restaurant.
1. Fried Calamari
Crunchy and chewy, fried calamari often looks like onion rings is an ideal way to start off your Japanese restaurant meal. The crispy edges cook well and really add to the flavor of the dish. Some restaurants may serve the fried calamari on its own or you could order a dipping sauce to go with the food.
The pieces are easy to grab with your fingers or you could use a pair of chopsticks to pick each one up.
2. Baby Octopus
Another deep fried option includes baby octopus. The small pieces turn out very tender and feature a lot of texture. The octopus is often served with a fresh ingredient like sliced cucumber and a sauce to really enhance the flavors. The small size of the food makes each piece easy to eat in just a single bite.
The baby octopus is an ideal transition food if you ever want to try sushi in the future and gradually build your way up to the raw fish.
3. Hamachi Kama
Yellow tail fish is commonly served at Japanese restaurants and comes in many forms. Order a cooked portion of the fish when you seek out an appetizer named Hamachi Kama. The yellow tail is typically grilled for this meal and served up with some lemon juice to really help with the fish flavors.
Hamachi kama is a specific part of the yellow tail known as the "cheek" of the fish. The section just past the fish's eyes and near the gills is known as the Hamachi and has some really flavor fats along with tender meats that make the fish easy to eat.
4. Unagi Kabayaki
Try some eel in the form of unagi kabayaki. The meal uses eel sauce to broil pieces of eel into a fully cooked and rich flavored dish. The texture of eel is unique and is a nice appetizer to share with other guests at your dinner. Sometimes you will receive the eel piece as a whole, and other times, the eel comes sliced and easy to share.
Try one or more of these seafood appetizers the next time you dine at a traditional Japanese restaurant.